Problem: Ashley has 12 oranges for every 21 lemons. Write the ratio of oranges to lemons as a simplified fraction.
Explanation: Ratios can be written in a few different ways that mean the same thing. You can express a ratio with a colon separating the two numbers. $12:21$ You can write it out as a phrase like this. $12 \text{ to } 21$ Or, you can express a ratio as a fraction. $\dfrac{12}{21}=\dfrac{4}{7}$ Therefore, $\dfrac{4}{7}$ is the ratio of oranges to lemons written as a simplified fraction.